70% of organisations worried by BYOD security risks

A survey has found that although nearly all organisations recognise the benefits of using mobile working services, three quarters are concerned about the security risks the practice brings.

A survey of 250 senior IT decision-makers by Claranet found that 72 per cent of them currently have a remote access service and that 96 per cent felt it benefitted their organisation.

However, 70 per cent registers concerns over the possibility of increased data loss, just over half felt that BYOD meant less control over how data is used and the same proportion felt that it posed a greater risk of unauthorised access to systems.

“The research shows that two thirds of organisations expect to see personal devices increasingly used for work purposes, even if they do not approve of BYOD,” said Claranet’s UK managing director, Michel Robert.

“And while there are significant and legitimate concerns over the security of personal devices, it’s an issue that cannot be ignored. Both public and private organisations need to have clear, comprehensive and well-understood policies covering mobile working, including which devices can connect to business networks and what technologies are in place to protect corporate data.”